Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Sacramento State
Volleyball Splits with Sacramento State and Fairleigh Dickinson on First Day of La Salle Invitational
8/31/2013 8:31:00 PM | Volleyball
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Just a couple hours after the conclusion of a back-and-forth five-set loss to Sacramento State, the Bucknell volleyball team upended Fairleigh Dickinson 3-0, winning by scores of 25-11, 25-20 and 25-22, Saturday on the first day of the La Salle Invitational at Tom Gola Arena. The victory over the Knights marked the initial win for the Bison with new head coach Anna Allison at the helm.
Bucknell (1-1) lost the opener to the Hornets 27-25, 15-25, 25-20, 21-25, 8-15 despite a standout performance by freshman Erika Eastley in her first career match. Eastley finished with team highs in kills (14), hitting percentage (.387) and blocks (9 assisted, 1 solo). The nine block assists were one shy of equaling the program's single-match record of 10 held by Jennie Smith since 2003. Eastley added nine kills, hit .533 and posted a pair of solo blocks and block assists in the nightcap victory.
“Overall, we had a good day,” commented Allison, Bucknell's top assistant the last eight years. “We played a good Sacramento State team and it is always tough to have everything synching for the first match of the season. We came back more composed in the afternoon and plan to carry that intensity into tomorrow's match vs. La Salle.”
The Bison jumped on Fairleigh Dickinson early, winning the first set by a 25-11 score. Bucknell never trailed in that set and never faced a deficit of more than one point the entire match. Twelve players saw action in all three sets and Allison utilized 17 players overall. The Bison hit .303, including .414 in the final set, compared to .028 by the Knights. Kristen Titley had eight kills, while Jessica Serrato and Morgan Mientus chipped in seven apiece. Katie Price posted a team-high 14 digs and Karen Campbell posted three solo blocks from her middle position.
The Sacramento State match was a seesaw affair as Bucknell claimed the first and third sets, while the Hornets claimed the second and fourth. The Bison came back from a 20-15 deficit in the fourth set and tied the score at 20-20, but Sacramento State scored five of the final six points to force a decisive fifth set.
The Hornets jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the final set and Bucknell never got closer than 4-2 the rest of the way. The Bison were forced to use a pair of timeouts when the score was 6-2 and 11-4.
Mientus had a solid day with 17 total kills and 29 digs in the two matches, while Keane Brazda (35 assists) and Rose Lewis (31 assists) split setter duties.
Bucknell will conclude play at the two-day La Salle Invitational Sunday at 2 p.m. when it takes on the host Explorers.
